Governor Rao to meet Panneerselvam first, then Sasikala

Chennai: Amid suspense over the swearing-in of AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala as Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Governor C Vidyasagar Rao left for Chennai from here this afternoon.

“The Governor took the 1.25 PM Jet Airways flight to Chennai from Mumbai,” a Raj Bhavan official told PTI.

Rao left Raj Bhavan around 12.10 PM for the airport, he said. The Governor’s decision to return to Chennai has triggered speculation about whether he will swear in Sasikala after she mustered an overwhelming majority of AIADMK MLAs against a rebellious Panneerselvam, who claimed he has their backing.

Rao had kept away from Chennai for the last three days amid a bitter war of words between Sasikala and Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.

Rao, who also holds the charge of Tamil Nadu, is reaching Chennai amid political developments in the southern state where O Panneerselvam has been replaced by V K Sasikala as leader of the ruling AIADMK legislature party.

The Supreme Court had recently indicated that it could deliver a judgement soon in a disproportionate assets case against Sasikala, who became general secretary of AIADMK after the death of Jayalalithaa.

A conviction after being sworn-in could result in Sasikala having to step down as chief minister. A PIL was also filed in the apex seeking to restrain Sasikala from being sworn-in as chief minister, claiming that in the event of her having to resign if she is convicted in the disproportionate assets case, there could be law and order problem in the state.

Sasikala was elected leader of the AIADMK legislature party on Sunday, clearing the decks for her elevation as the chief minister.